A tsunami alert around the Indian Ocean triggered by two powerful earthquakes off Indonesia's Aceh region early on April 11 has been lifted.

Reports said the 8.6- and 8.2-magnitude earthquakes sparked panic, with residents in coastal cities fleeing to high ground.

Major damage or tsunami waves were not reported.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii lifted a tsunami watch for most areas of the Indian Ocean about four hours after the first quake.

Reports said the quake was felt as far away as Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and India. India also issued a tsunami warning, saying waves measuring up to 6 meters were expected along parts of its eastern coast.

The region is regularly hit by tremors.

A tsunami in December 2004 killed 170,000 people in Aceh and a total of about 230,000 people in 13 Indian Ocean countries.